


Cripple Creek (Up On)

by canadduh



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Benny Lafitte, Alpha Bess, Alpha Castiel, Alpha Castiel/ Omega Dean, Alpha Ellen, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Bar Owner Castiel, Beta Garth, Beta John, Dildos, Fluff, I swear it, Knotting Dildos, M/M, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Minor Andrea Kormos/Benny Lafitte, Minor Garth Fitzgerald IV/Bess Myers, Musician Castiel, Musician Dean Winchester, Omega Andrea - Freeform, Omega Dean Winchester, Omega Jo, Original Winchester Child - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Michael/Dean Winchester, Singer Dean Winchester, Single Parent Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, True Mates, knots, omega jody, still a slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2019-09-16 12:47:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16954311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadduh/pseuds/canadduh
Summary: Dean has spent a lot of his life disappointed in the people that he's supposed to trust the most. It wasn't so bad when he was younger but once he presents as an omega his dad goes off the deep end and Sam just goes as far away as possible. Dean leaves, he has a kid, starts a relationship, gets disappointed again. Now he's in a new town ready to start over with his three-year-old daughter and he's built his walls strong enough this time to keep the disappointment out.Or so he hopes.





	1. Simple Man

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> First, I'd like to thank my friends at the [ ProfoundBond Discord](https://discord.gg/GGbw2NP) for helping me figure out the devil in the details with this chapter. They're rockin' people and you can join us if you want. 
> 
> Second, this fic is heavily inspired by the Jason Manns cover of The Band's Up On Cripple Creek in the [Recovering with Friends album](https://jasonmanns.bandcamp.com/album/recovering-with-friends). Each chapter title is taken from a track in that album and [Covers with Friends](https://jasonmanns.bandcamp.com/album/covers-with-friends). These songs soothe my soul. 
> 
> Third, this is my first time writing an A/B/O fic. Lemme know what you think!

“How many more do we have to go through before you guys agree with me that this is pointless?” Cas grumbles, throwing his head back against the wall and wincing at the sharp pain it causes.

Benny shakes his head with a grin, chuckling at Cas’ pain, “brother, it’s your band. You’re the one who wanted a lead singer.”

“You could just not leave?” Cas says, even though he knows it’s a lost cause, he waves off Benny’s attempted response. “No, no, I know. You need to be there for Andrea and your pup and I completely understand. I just hate this and I’m tired.”

“We’ve only got a couple more to go, Cas,” Garth says cheerily from the other end of the couch. He’s always sunshine and rainbows and usually, Cas appreciates it but he’s just about done with everything right now, “we’ll be done soon.”

“You’ve got a few minutes before our next guy. Go grab a coffee from the break room.” Benny orders. Years ago Cas would have bristled at another alpha telling him what to do but Benny is pack now, so he listens.

The break room is opposite the living room. When Cas took over the running for Up On, Cripple Creek’s only bar, he remodeled most of the back so that he could live there. It was much cheaper than having to do upkeep on his old house, as much as he had loved it.

Every so often Cas will splurge on coffee, going out to the local coffee shop to grab a cup, but usually, he lives off the stuff in the break room. He uses an old percolator that he found in the storage room when he first started working. The coffee he brews is rich in flavor and Cas savors the first sip before he heads back across the hall.

“Better?” Ash asks with a grin, holding out a bar of dark chocolate for Cas. Ash keeps them in supply and has for years because they’ve always been able to calm Cas down. 

Ash is the only other member of the band that works at Up On with Cas. Sometimes he hates all the time that the two of them spend together but then he does shit like gives Cas chocolate and he’s back to being Cas’ favorite employee/ bandmate.

“Thank you,” Cas says, accepting the chocolate but not opening it yet. There’s only one minute until their next audition and he wants to be able to savor his treat.

Meg, the band’s unofficial manager and Cas’ best friend since elementary school, enters the room. Cas recognizes the blonde woman behind her and bites back a groan. Becky Rosen has been following the band since Cas started it in high school. Now, fifteen years later, she’s one of Cas’ least favorite people.

She could be considered nice if she hadn’t completely creeped on Cas’ last guitarist to the point that he quit. Cas was still friends with Victor but he had moved out of town to avoid Becky (and also because he got hired by the FBI but Cas is all for blaming the woman for it).

“No,” Cas says immediately, before Becky even has the chance to speak, “I apologize, but no.”

“Castiel,” Becky whines and boy howdy does that voice set his teeth on edge.

“Meg, why would you let her in here?” Cas demands, raising his brow at the beta.

Meg shrugs, but her glare at Becky is telling and Cas figures Becky probably blackmailed her. The blonde alpha has a way of figuring out things she shouldn’t, which makes Cas like her even less.

“Please leave,” Cas demands, grinding his teeth to keep from growling at the woman. 

Becky opens her mouth to argue but Benny stands up, using his size to guide Becky to the door. Before the door shuts Becky calls back to them, a growl in her voice that makes Castiel bare his teeth.

“You’re gonna regret this,” Becky shouts and Cas grimaces at the headache her voice causes.

“She’s not allowed in the back, ever, Meg,” Cas reminds his friend, “what did she use this time?”

“It wasn’t about me,” Meg grimaces, “she threatened to burn down your old house, Cas.”

Cas growls, lurching forward. He has the urge to go after Becky but there’s nothing he can do right now. While Becky may be a force of nature she happens to have the backing of much of the religious population in the small Washington town.

“Someone bought the house,” Garth says after a minute of silence, drawing their attention. The man grins as if he didn’t just give the worst news Cas has heard all week. “Well, the for sale sign is gone.”

Cas head snaps to look at Garth, his mouth hanging open. “When did this happen?”

“Bess noticed the sign was gone yesterday,” Garth says, with an apologetic shrug, “I was gonna text you but I forgot after we had to help her mother.”

Garth and Bess had mated last May and just two weeks later Bess’ mom had fallen ill. The two of them split time caring for her and working on their farm just outside of town. Bess kept bees which Cas came out to help with every other weekend.

“I’m surprised it took this long,” Ash says, shrugging apologetically when Cas glares at him, “what? It’s a nice house!”

“I know, Ash,” Cas grouches, “I grew up there.”

“You didn’t have to move out, Clarence,” Meg says softly, almost sympathetically.

Cas rolls his eyes and looks towards the ceiling, as though it would give him the strength he needed to get through this moment and their last two auditions.

“Go get the next one, Margerie,” Cas ignores the narrowing of the beta’s eyes, “and if it’s Cole tell him he’s banned from the bar, and that includes the back rooms.”

There’s silence in the room once Meg leaves and Cas relishes in it. He uses the time to finish his now tepid coffee and start in on the chocolate. It melts in his mouth and this time Cas doesn’t bother holding back his moan. There’s a slight bitterness to the taste that Cas has always adored that’s followed closely by the sweet taste of chocolate. Paired with the smell of coffee still hanging in the air Cas could say he was in heaven.

“It was Cole,” Meg says with a smirk, popping her head back in the room, “next one’s in thirty so I’m gonna run back home.”

“Thanks, Meg,” Cas says with a wave of his hand, “we’ll be fine for the last one without you so no need to come back.”

“You got it, boss,” Meg grins before sauntering off.

“Let’s get you some food, Casman,” Garth says with a grin before hauling Cas to his feet.

Garth doesn’t look it but from years of working on Bess’ farm, he’s got quite a bit of muscle. The beta has a slight but muscled build that he covers up with flannels. Cas still remembers when Garth fought off a coyote a few years ago, the incident had made the local news, as well as the Seattle Times.

“Finally,” Cas groans. The other men laugh but Cas ignores them as he follows Garth into the breakroom.

He really needs food.

****

Dean’s lost.

Dean’s lost and his daughter is screaming in the back seat.

Dean’s lost and his daughter is screaming in the back seat and he’s  _ late _ .

Dean glares from the printed google maps page crinkled in his hands to the unmarked road in front of him. He’s only been in town since last night and clearly, he doesn’t know where he’s going. His new phone hasn’t shown up and his old one is in pieces on the road somewhere outside of Chicago.

“Annie, love, you gotta calm down,” Dean pleads with no luck. His daughter has been screaming since Dean dropped her off at the daycare next to the auto shop that morning. They had called him three hours later and if Dean wasn’t already in a rush he would have given them a piece of his mind for waiting so long. 

“Daddy’s sorry, pumpkin,” Dean apologizes as he makes a decision and turns right on the street, hoping he’s heading in the correct direction. “But this is what Daddy needs for himself. And you know what Uncle Sammy used to say about daddy doing fun things too, remember?”

Not that Annie had met Sam before. After Sam had left for Stanford he’d cut off all communication with John and had stopped replying to Dean three months later. If it hadn’t been for the odd update on Facebook Dean would have driven out to California just to make sure his brother was alive.

“There we go,” Dean cheers when he spots the building he needs. A sign hangs above the front door reading Up On and Dean grins when he gets it. Up On Cripple Creek. The Band. He likes the place already.

The email Dean had gotten told him to enter through the back so Dean pulls his truck around back and hops out. He pulls the seat forward and has to pull his daughter out of her seat since she refuses to move.

Dean grimaces as she screams in his ear but he really needs to get going. He’s been itching to perform again and this is his golden opportunity. The band performs every Friday at the bar and for the occasional party or gathering of the locals (flyers words, not his) and Dean’s not gonna lie, he could also use the extra income from the events.

He was able to afford the down payment on the house just outside of town but paying the mortgage every month was going to be tough with what he was making at the bar alone. Especially since Dean also had to pay insurance and for daycare. Not only that but he couldn’t even move in for a month while he waited for someone to inspect the house and for all the wiring to be replaced.

“Annie, baby, you’re okay,” Dean reminds his daughter, pulling her tighter to his chest so she can scent his neck. He closes the door and locks it before rushing into the building. 

The hall is well lit and does not look like it belongs to the bar at all. It’s carpeted and there are pictures hanging on the wall that Dean can’t focus on right now because he needs to find the room where his audition is happening.

“Sorry sorry,” Dean apologizes to Annie when his baby starts sobbing into his chest. At least she’s not breaking his eardrums anymore, “baby girl, hush I know.”

He’s going to call Jody tonight. She had said she was out of town but Claire and Kaia could handle taking care of Annie as well as their usual five. Since that clearly hadn’t worked out Dean was going to need to figure out something else until Jody was back to give her opinion.

Dean hears voices from behind a door and knocks on it gently, waiting for someone to let him in, rather than barging in. Dean learned manners young and he’s kept to them his entire life, it’s saved his ass in several situations.

“Hush, sugar,” Dean soothes, running a hand down his daughter's fevered face, “I know baby, we’ll be home soon. Daddy’s just got one more thing to do then we can sleep as long as you want darlin’”

Annie grabs onto Dean’s finger and pulls it into her mouth which Dean allows even though his daughter is, thankfully, well past the teething stage. There’s a sharp sting when she bites down too hard but Dean ignores it and kisses the pup on top of her head.

Dean lets out a breath of relief now that Annie’s not crying. He looks up sheepishly at the sound of the door opening to see a dark haired man and is about to apologize when he smells what is probably the best scent ever. It reminds him of the library, the smell of the earth after it rains, and the back of his dad’s old car, the one that Dean hasn’t seen since his dad left him two weeks after Sam was gone. He’s clearly an alpha and Dean’s not quite sure what to do about that.

“I apologize,” Dean starts before the man can speak, “her daycare called twenty minutes ago saying she needed to go home and I don’t have anyone to watch her. She’s usually a lot quieter but-“

Dean stops before he can spill his guts to the stranger. He doesn’t need to know that Dean’s a mess and can barely look after his own kid. Hell, Dean can barely look after himself.

“I’ll just go,” Dean says when there’s no reply after a couple moments. His daughter is asleep now and yeah, it’s probably best for Dean to skedaddle. Especially since the man is looking at him like he’s seen a ghost and that look sends shivers down Dean’s spine.

“Wait,” the man speaks urgently but quietly and Dean appreciates it more than he would ever be able to express. These moments of silence from his pup have been necessary, as much as he loves the shit outta her. 

The man turns to the room and Dean peeks past him to see three more people. He can’t scent them but that means nothing from this distance. The man steps into the room and the four of them whisper for a little bit before the first man nods and comes back.

He’s just shorter than Dean with expressive blue eyes, hair that looks like it hasn’t been brushed in days, and a truck-load of tattoos on his arms and calves. Dean tenses at the man's approach and is confused when the man walks past him and out of the room.

“Uh,” Dean says, looking down the hall and then to the other men, “what’s happening?”

“Cas’ a weird guy but he loves kids, he’s getting a blanket for your girl there,” the man speaking has a southern accent and Dean feels himself relax when he hears it.

“Louisiana, huh,” Dean notes, unable to stop himself, “Kansas man myself.”

Annie lets out a sigh and Dean grins down at his little piece of sunshine, kissing her on the forehead.

“I- Uh, Dean Winchester,” Dean introduces himself, stepping further into the room, “this lil bean is my Annalee, though she calls herself Annie so I guess I do too, now.”

“She’s awful cute,” a gangly looking man says, “I’m Garth, this here is Ash,” he gestures to a man with a mullet on his left, “and that’s Benny.”

“I’m Castiel,” The voice comes from behind him and Dean turns to the see the first man, Cas, returning with a bumblebee blanket draped over his arm.

“Dean, Annie,” Dean introduces, taking the proffered blanket, “thank you.”

Cas nods and sits in the middle of the couch Garth and Ash are on while Dean wraps the fuzzy blanket around his daughter. He smiles when she settles into him even more before turning his attention to the men.

“What experience do you have, Dean?” Cas asks after a moment of staring. Dean is a little disconcerted by the intense blue eyes but he tries not to let it get to him. As Benny said, the man is weird. 

“I learned to play the piano when I was just a kid. Taught myself the guitar and cello,” Dean says, noting the impressed look on Cas’ face with no small amount of glee, “and I was in choir in middle school and high school. I did solo performances and a few concerts before lil miss here was born.”

“Concerts?” Benny asks, he doesn’t sound surprised, only curious, and Dean appreciates that.

“Guest artist,” Dean explains with a shrug, ”I was classically trained and young. People seemed to like that.”

“Classically?” Cas raises a brow and Dean feels… something… at the look, he doesn’t want to examine the feeling. He doesn’t have time for anything that’s not Annie or work or this band if he gets the part.

“Yeah, the guy's name was Steve Classically,” Dean says, holding a straight face for all of two seconds before breaking into a grin, “kidding, kidding. My teacher was Missouri Moseley, of Lawrence, Kansas.”

“Missouri Moseley?” Garth asks, laughing gleefully at Dean’s nod, “Well, I’ll be damned, uh darned, Ms. Moseley is now a resident of our good ol’ town of Cripple Creek.”

Dean takes a moment to process that before chuckling himself, “She said I’d be seeing her someday when I told her I was never going back to Kansas. Always knew the woman was a prophet.”

The other men chuckle and Dean starts bouncing Annie so that she would stay asleep when she starts shifting under the blanket at the sound.

“Alright, Dean, let’s hear what you got,” Cas says once Annie settles down with a whine after sniffing loudly at Dean’s neck.

Dean nods and then gets into position, moving Annie higher so that he’d be able to use his diaphragm. He takes a deep breath, kisses Annie on the forehead and then starts singing.

_ Mama told me when I was young  
_ _ "Come sit beside me, my only son  
_ _ And listen closely to what I say  
_ __ And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day"

Dean was barely older than Annie is now when his own mother died. She was killed in a house fire, one that Dean and Sam themselves barely escaped. John had been at work on one of his rare night shifts and had come home just into time to run in and get the brothers out. He was too late to save Mary. It had been faulty wiring in the master bathroom that had started the fire. He doesn’t have many memories of her but he used to imagine that she would sing to him whenever he was sick.

He feels at peace when he performs, be it singing or playing an instrument. He sings to Annie every night and it relaxes them both enough that Dean manages to catch a few hours of sleep himself. Dean knows he can captivate an audience, weave a story through the music, and he loves it. If things had been different he would still be performing like he used to. He doesn’t regret having Annie, not for a second, but he really needs to get back on stage. 

_ "And be a simple kind of man  
_ _ Oh, be something you love and understand  
_ _ Baby be a simple kind of man  
_ __ Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can"

Dean repeats the last chorus before letting his voice fade out. He blinks back into the moment and looks at the men sheepishly. He hadn’t meant to let the song carry him away but sometimes he can’t help it. 

“Well, I’ll be dam- darned,” Garth says, catching himself with a guilty glance to the toddler in Dean’s arms, “you got quite a voice there, man.”

“Thanks,” Dean grins, rubbing his free hand over his neck. He kisses Annie on the forehead and frowns at how warm it is. He’ll have to take time off from the shop if she’s sick. And considering he hasn’t even started he’s not sure how well Rufus is gonna take that.

“You’re an omega,” Cas breathes suddenly and Dean freezes, drawing Annie closer to his chest and glaring at the man.

The blockers he put on that morning were only supposed to last for three hours and Dean had meant to reapply them before going in but he’d been distracted by Annie. Damn.

“Is that going to be an issue?” Dean demands, his voice steely. He hadn’t faced a ton of discrimination in Chicago, there were mated and unmated male omegas everywhere in the large city. It still wasn’t the best but Dean knew that it was often worse in the smaller towns.

Although Washington was supposed to be one of the most progressive states when it came to Omega Rights, Dean knew that there was a conservative population here as well. He just hopes these guys aren’t part of that group. 

“No,” Cas says immediately with a shrug, “I just hadn’t noticed before.”

Dean relaxes a little bit but he’s still wary, “blockers.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

The rooms silent for a few moments and Dean’s not sure what he’s supposed to do. He hears a whine from Annie and shifts her so she can scent him as she wakes. His daughter hasn’t done well waking up recently and Dean knows it’s because she’s suddenly been displaced after nearly her whole life in the same place. He feels bad for that but he knows she’s going to be better off in the long run.

“We’ll email you with our choice by the end of the week,” Cas says and Dean knows a dismissal when he hears one.

Dean nods and walks out of the room with a feeling of dread pooling in his chest. He can feel it soaking into his scent but he ignores it as he walks back out to the truck.

He’s not going to let himself worry about it, Dean decides. He needs to focus on his daughter, anyway, and now that the decision is out of his hands there’s nothing he can do.


	2. The Weight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in this chapter (though I am warning you to expect them) I am also working on SPN MBB and DCMB. I'm really excited about both of those stories but they do require a lot of attention (like children). Currently, I'm expecting this fic to be slow going but know that I am working on it (but you'll never know when the next update is coming >.>). To the person who I told I'd have this up by the first— I hope you enjoy this chapter and I apologize for the delay!

By the time Dean pulls up to the bed and breakfast, a cute little place called Nazareth on the opposite side of town, Annie is wailing. Dean rests his head on the steering wheel and breathes. He hates listening to Annie cry, absolutely loathes it. His pup doesn’t get sick often but when she does it’s messy and he needs to be calm to deal with it. In the past, Dean had help when Annie got sick but now it’s just him. Dean takes another deep breath, turns the truck off, and hops out.

“I got this,” Dean reminds himself, as he always does when he looks at little Annalee and sees her unconditional trust in him.

Dean grabs the diaper bag first, making sure the bee blanket is in it so that he can throw it in the wash later. Once it settles on his shoulder he unbuckles Annie and lifts her so that she can scent his neck. It helps her relax and when she does, so does he.

In their room, Dean sets Annie on the bed and grabs the thermometer from the diaper bag. While pups normally run hot his daughter is warmer than usual and it’s setting Dean on edge.

“Dah-dee,” Annie whines, the sound breaking Dean’s heart. She sounds congested so Dean breaks out the baby-Benadryl as well as the baby-Tylenol and measures them out for the girl, mixing the medicine with a bit of apple juice from the mini-fridge because he knows his daughter will refuse straight medicine, she always has.

Dean gets Annie to drink the mixture and then starts bouncing her while pacing around the room.

“Sing, daddy,” Annie mumbles into his ear and Dean chuckles before complying, he really can’t deny the girl anything.

 _I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead_  
_I just need some place where I can lay my head_  
_Hey, mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed?_ _  
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said._

Annie settles against his chest as Dean sings softly to her. He’d chosen her name while listening to this song so it was only appropriate that it would become her song. He does change some of the lyrics though, to make it more special for his pup.

 _Take a load off Annie, take a load for free_ _  
_ _Take a load off Annie, and you put the load right on me_

Dean sings until Annie’s asleep then puts her in the crib to sleep. It’s his first peaceful moment since picking her up from daycare earlier that day and Dean’s not sure what to do with it.

His stomach growling makes up his mind for him.

There’s not much in the way of food in the room but Dean manages something that resembles a meal with bread, lunch meats, and a carton of raspberries. After he cleans up Dean hunkers down with Annie on the bed and they both manage to sleep for a couple hours.

Dean wakes up to the sounds of hacking and something warm, almost got, on his stomach and he lets himself regret everything for a moment before he gets up to take care of his daughter.

Using a warm cloth, Dean wipes up Annie’s face and then changes her sweat-soaked clothes. Once she’s taken care of he changes his shirt, deciding against showering for now.

The whole time Dean sings softly to Annie, pausing to reassure her whenever she whimpers and lifting her to scent his neck. It’s been a while since he had to take care of her alone and Dean misses the companionship, even if he doesn’t miss the person himself.

“Daddy,” Annie whimpers against his shoulder, “hurts.”

“Oh baby,” Dean croons, “I know but daddy’s here my little pup.”

“Mikey?”

Dean’s breath hitches and he can already smell a sourness in his scent. He quickly wills it away and starts bouncing his arms, swaying in his spot. Annie’s too young to know what happened between him and Michael, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect her.

“No, baby girl, no Mikey,” he feels a rush of relief that Michael had never been comfortable with Annie calling him anything but Mikey. The man may have played the role of a parent but he wasn’t exactly father material.

“‘Kay,” Annie accepts it easily and snuggles into her daddy. Dean closes his eyes briefly and kisses her on the forehead and then she’s throwing up and he’s back to work.

Sometime later there’s a knock on the door and Dean opens it to reveal Crowley with a tray of food and the strongest smelling tea Dean’s ever witnessed.

“Is that poisoned?” He asks, even though he’s already letting the man in.

“Rowena noticed you missed dinner and we can all smell your sick pup from the lobby,” Crowley says, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“I apologize,” Dean bows his head but says nothing more.

“The tea is for the little miss, once she wakes up,” Crowley explains and then he’s out of the room, door shut softly behind him.

Dean gives Annie the tea in a bottle, something he still has to use periodically. It seems to help some and Dean only has to clean up puke three more times before the morning.

He uses the landline in his room to call Rufus and beg the day off around six. Considering Dean has barely closed his eyes since his mid-afternoon snooze it’s probably not a good idea for him to be under a hood and around heavy equipment.  

Rufus takes it in stride and Dean’s grateful his boss is understanding. He offers to take an extra shift once he has someone to take care of Annie on weekends and signs off the call.

Dean and his pup catch up on missed sleep from the night before and then join Rowena, Crowley, and Chuck, a reclusive writer, for lunch.

“Thank you for the tea, Rowena,” Dean says when they’re all sitting down to eat.

“Was gross,” Annie adds petulantly, “bad tea.”

Rowena laughs at that and Dean can already see that his daughter has her wrapped around her messy little fingers.

“But you’re feeling better, dearie?” Rowena asks the pup.

Dean wasn’t sure of it when they arrived but he can tell now that Rowena is an omega. She’s exuding a relaxing scent that even Dean is caught up in and he smiles at her gratefully.

“Much better,” Annie answers with a syrup covered grin. Dean reaches to wipe it off with his napkin but Rowena’s already there with a baby wipe and he doesn’t know where she even got it from.

“Thankies,” Annie grins up at the red-head. Dean Feels infinitely grateful that he took a chance on this small town after all.

“Thank you, Rowena,” Dean adds with a smile of his own. Rowena grins at him and then turns her attention back to Annie, drawing the toddler into a conversation about kittens.

After dinner, Dean lays Annie down for bed and finally gets to check his email on his laptop. There’s nothing from Cas about the band but Dean doesn’t let himself focus on that as he replies to an email from Bobby and checks for any updates on Sam’s Facebook page.

He had gone on a date with his girlfriend, Jess and was getting ready to graduate in the next few weeks. Sam was doing good. It hurt but Dean still couldn’t help but be proud of the bastard.

Dean is about to shut his laptop off for the night when it pings and a notification from cjnovak@gmail.com appears on the screen. He closes the lid and gets ready for bed, brushing his teeth, changing into flannel pajamas, and grabs to device from the desk before crawling under the covers.

He opens the lid.

A smile spreads over his face as he reads the email.

*** ***

Dean’s scent lingers long after the man leaves and Cas needs fresh air before it overpowers him. The omega smells of something spicy and sweet and fragrant and Cas wants the man to come back so that he can smell it again. He shakes off the feeling and stands, leading the way out of the room, everyone else following with exchanged looks that he pointedly ignores.

“That was quite rude there, brother,” Benny says, placing a hand on Cas’ shoulder. Cas slows down and takes a deep breath, thankful for the calming presence of the other alpha.

“I know,” Cas agrees, guilt curling in his stomach, “but did you guys smell him?”

“Dark chocolate and coffee,” Ash says with a knowing grin, “a little spicy but he’s gotta be a wet dream for you, my dude.”

Cas nods, not sure he can speak at the moment. He can still faintly smell the tantalizing scent and he really needs to clear his head before he pops a knot in the middle of the hallway.

“Why don’t you head outside,” Garth suggests good-naturedly, “we can all think on who we want as our new frontman if there’s anyone we want from this group. We’ll make dinner and then we can discuss this.”

Again, Cas can only nod. They guide him down the hall and outside. Cas knows there are pictures of his siblings and niece on the wall but he doesn’t bother looking at them like he usually does when he passes.

He hasn’t been this intensely attracted to another person in years and it’s making his head spin. The fresh hair helps him cool off and rid himself of the scent of chili, coffee, and dark chocolate. He leans back against the wall for a moment before sliding down and resting his head on his knees.

“He’s your true mate, ain’t he?” Benny asks from the door, startling Cas.

“I— I think he is,” Cas agrees. He looks at his hands, tracing the scars with his eyes before staring at Benny pleadingly, “what do I do? I haven’t dated in years, not since…”

Benny nods and sits next to Cas, pulling him into an awkward hug. Cas adjusts and leans his head on Benny’s shoulder.

“I know, brutha,” Benny assures, “you should try talking to him first though, see if ya connect or sumthin’ like that.”

“So helpful,” Cas rolls his eyes but leans into Benny further, “can we?”

Benny stands and offers a hand to help Cas up. They head inside and find Ash and Garth in the break room talking about a convention in Seattle that was coming up. Cas doesn’t really pay attention to those unless it is for a specific fandom he is in.

“What are your thoughts?” Cas asks when he has everyone’s attention.

“Dean,” Garth smile, winking exaggeratedly at Dean.

“Dean,” Ash repeats with a sly grin.

“Dean is good.” Benny finishes.

“Did you… just… El Dorado me?” Cas asks, dumbfounded.

“We saw the opportunity and we took it, brother,” Ash grins, “you gonna write up that email or gawk at us all night.”

Cas stares at his friends for a moment, mouth hanging open until Benny closes it for him with a finger under his chin.

“We’re not gonna discuss this further?” Cas asks slowly, looking closely at their expressions and seeing that everyone is confident in their decision, “what about his kid?”

“She can always hang out with Bess while we have a rehearsal or a performance,” Garth offers with a shrug, “you know she loves kids and I think it might be good for Dean to have time with adults. It sounded like he was on his own.”

“What about when Bess is out of town or can’t leave the farm?” Cas demands. He needs to know that Dean’s kid would be taken care of. That Dean would be taken care of.

“Then Andrea can watch her or Claire can come in and babysit, Brutha. There are options. ” Benny says gently, “now go write that email so we can call it an early night and I can get back to my family.”

Cas bows his head apologetically, “you’re right. Sorry, I’ll get it written. You can head out if you want to.”

He waits until the three of them leave, Benny lingering until he’s sure Cas will get it done. When Cas threatens him with no more free honey Benny leaves in a rush, Cas chuckling behind him as he locks the door.

He sets his laptop on the table and then gets started on an early dinner, drafting the message in his head. He doesn’t even realize that he’s sniffing the coffee until the microwave dings, telling him his soup is heated up.

Cas puts the tin down, ignoring the slight hardening of his dick. He grabs a rag so he can take his food out of the microwave and let it cool on the counter.

When he is sitting at the table five minutes later Cas has no idea what to write. He has Dean’s name written in the body of the email, a comma following. The subject bar says _You’re In— if you want._

_Dean,_

Cas stares at the email like it’s the bane of his existence for nearly thirty minutes, typing and deleting multiple messages before he finally settles on one.

_Dean,_

_This is Castiel from Up On. We’d like to inform you that (if you still want it) we’ve chosen you for our lead singer. Like it said in the flier we rehearse Tuesdays and Fridays at Up On from 5-7pm (later on Fridays if needed) and perform every other Saturday from 7-9pm and a few pick up gigs at local events, weddings, and the occasional baby shower._

_You mentioned that you were taking care of Annie (that is your daughter’s name, right?) on your own so we have a couple of options for her care during rehearsals and performances (if you don’t have anything figured out, I don’t want to impose but I do want to make sure you were covered.) Garth’s mate, Bess, is able to watch Annie (?) during most rehearsals and performances. If she’s out of town then Benny’s mate Andrea, or my niece Clarie, can watch her instead. There’s space in the back (my housing area) for Annie to be so you would still be close to her._

_If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me._

_Looking forward to hearing from you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Castiel (Cas) Novak_

_P.S. Do take your time making your decision. There is no need to rush at all :)_

Cas checks for errors, hits send and immediately slams the laptop shut so he’s not tempted to watch for a reply all night. Since he’s still got a couple hours to go before the bar opens and pent up energy Cas decides to go on a run.

He’s been in Cripple Creek for all but four years of his life. Cas grew up in a farmhouse just outside of the city limits and went to school with Jimmy, Benny, Ash, Garth and a few others who have since moved on to bigger and better things.

Some, like him and Jimmy, came back after college, others, like Ash, never really left. Cripple Creek had all anyone really needed in life and Cas would be content to be buried in the cemetary outside the church.

He waves to Geraldine, his old youth group teacher, as he passes her house on his way out of town. Since Garth had mentioned the sale of his childhood home Cas has been eager to see it. He needs to see for himself that the for sale sign is gone.

The house looks like it is straight from an old western film. There is a wrap around porch with a rocking chair and a porch swing on it by the front door. Ivy crawls up the posts and hides the fact that the white paint is now chipping away. Some of the windows are broken or boarded up but significantly less of them than Cas is used to.

He stops when he sees that there’s no for sale sign anymore and forces himself not to growl, to keep himself in check. He’s a grown man and doesn’t need to prove it anymore. There’s no reason to let his alpha take control, he knew this was a possibility when he decided to move into the back of the bar. It’s not like he needed the house when it was just him

When he gets back to Up On nearly an hour later Cas takes a quick shower, grabs a snack, and starts prepping the bar to open. Ash arrives around six, asks if Dean has replied, and then disappears until they open at seven.

It’s a slow night and there is nothing keeping Cas from checking his phone. Multiple times. Ash laughs at him and Castiel flips him off before starting his break at ten.

Cas bangs his head on the table in the break room when he opens his laptop. He’d cut the connection before the email could send. The draft is sitting there, waiting for the click of a button.

He makes sure it sends this time, downs a bottle of water, and heads back to the bar so that Ash can take his break.

It’s nearly two in the morning by the time Cas makes it to bed. While the night had started out calm it had not remained that way. Cas doesn’t like to involve the cops with his patrons, especially since he has known most of them all his life, but he cannot forgive Luke, an alpha and the town drunk, for punching (trying to punch, really) Ash when Cas had Ash escort him out.

Donna had assured him that Luke would just be spending the night in a cell _unless you want to press charges, eh._

Cas is just about to close his eyes when he sees he has an email notification. His heart stutters and he can smell his excitement and apprehension in the air as he opens it.

_Re: You’re In— if you want. (I want)_

_Cas,_

_I appreciate the offer of a babysitter for Annie (You did get her name right) I moved into town a couple days ago and I’m staying at Nazareth until the end of the week. I bought an old farmhouse just outside of town but the contractors can’t make it out until tomorrow. If I could meet Bess and Andrea (Claire works at Annie’s Daycare) before the first rehearsal that would be awesome. (It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that I don’t know you)._

_I would love to be in the Up On band (Do you guys have a name? I didn’t see anything on the flier). Can I get your (and Ash’s, Garth’s, and Benny’s) number(s), Annie has been sick today and I don’t always see emails (just in case something comes up)._

_-Dean W._

  _P.S. Is everything in town a_ The Band _reference?_


	3. The Way You Make Me Feel

_Re: You’re In— if you want (Yay!)_

_Dean,_

_Yes. It is. No one really knows who did it but in the 80s someone tagged everywhere with references to The Band and it kept happening until the owners of the establishments decided to keep them. If I recall your pup’s name is Annalee, am I correct to assume that was inspired by The Band as well? (Please do correct me if I am wrong! I’m realizing now that she could have been named after a relative.)_

_Bess and Andrea are free to meet you on Thursday if you wish. They’ve got knitting club in the community center from 5-7pm but can stop by Nazareth afterward if that works for you._

_Our first rehearsal is this Friday from 5-7:30 if that works for you? We’d like to spend the first thirty minutes with both you and Annie if possible. The band (Which is Modus Operandi by the way) would like to get to know you and Annie a little bit before we start rehearsals!_

_If this doesn’t work for you please let me know!_

_Sincerely,_  
_Cas._

 _P.S. The contact sheet for the band is attached._  
****  
_Re: You’re In— if you want (Are you saying the band is your MO?)_

_Cas,_

_5-7:30 pm works for me if we can have a fifteen-minute break at 6:30 so I can feed Annie. She has never gotten a bottle from another person and I don’t think this would be a good time to start (she’s unsettled by our recent move and I don’t want to force anymore change on her). The bottle helps her sleep! (She’s usually eating solid foods but it was recommended by her last doctor when she wasn’t gaining weight.)_

_Anyways, I can meet with Bess and Andrea on the 15th! Annie will probably be ready for bed (or maybe on her third wind who knows). She can hang with Rowena while I work out details with them (my daughter has Rowena wrapped around her thumb. If I wasn’t convinced she was a witch I’d say it was adorable ;) )_

_I’ll see you Friday,_

  
_Dean._

***  
His first day at the shop is two days later than Dean intended but as long as his new boss doesn’t mind Dean’s not going to worry. Annie would always be his priority and he was very clear on that when he first talked to Rufus.

After dropping Annie off at the daycare, a much smoother transition than it had been just a few days before, Dean drives the short distance to the shop.

Rufus is an old, black, omega with a gruff countenance and a heart of gold. Or, at least, that’s how Bobby had described him. When Dean opens the front door to the small shop he’s greeted by a blonde beta only a few years younger than Dean with a no-nonsense attitude.

“What can I help ya with?” The woman asks.

“I’m looking for Rufus,” Dean says, taking in the faded paint on the walls and the chipped countertop. He’s itching to take a brush to the walls but he doesn’t think that’d go over so well.

“He’s out back. Just wait right here and I’ll get him for ya.”

He’s left alone in the waiting room for a few minutes before the beta is back with a grumbling omega. The man looks just as grumpy as Dean expected.

“You must be Winchester,” Rufus greats, holding out a hand. Dean grips it tight and nods his head.

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“How’s your pup?” Rufus asks once he lets go.

“She’s better. Thank you for letting me start later than planned.” Dean grins gratefully, at his boss before turning to the beta, “I’m Dean.”

“I gathered,” she winks, holding out her hand as well, “Jo Harvelle. My mom owns Harvelle’s Hair and Other Horrors.”

“Your mom owns what?” Dean asks, hesitantly shaking her hand.

“Her mom owns Rockin’ Chair. A salon slash antique store over on main and first.” Rufus says, with a snort, “she’s a dramatic one.”

Dean just nods, not sure how to respond to that. Jo starts laughing but stops when Rufus glares at her.

“Let’s head on back and you can fill out some paperwork and look around,” Rufus offers, “get you out of Miss Jo’s sight so she can get back to work.”

Dean chuckles when Jo sticks her tongue out at Rufus before following the omega into the back. It’s a nice shop, despite the old looking waiting room. There are three workstations, two with Priuses, and the third with a bonafide pimpmobile. The car is hideous but Dean supposes he has no room to judge, his car may be modern but that doesn’t mean he likes it any more than he likes the beige monster on the lift.

“Here’s your paperwork,” Rufus says, drawing Dean’s attention back to the man and the stack of papers in his hands. He grabs the stack with a sheepish grin

Dean flips through them, noting that it’s the typical tax information and waivers that he’s seen in the past few garages and nods to himself. Rufus nods to a desk in the corner of the garage and Dean sits at it, settling the papers in front of him.

“I hear you’re going to be performing with M.O.” Rufus says while Dean fills out the necessary forms.

“New travels fast in small towns,” Dean says with a shrug, “yeah, we’re rehearsing tomorrow.

“Castiel is the owner of that thing,” Rufus says gesturing to the pimpmobile, “the man’s had her since high school and I doubt he’s gonna get rid of her anytime soon.”

“Of course he is,” Dean grins, it seems to fit what he knows so far of the alpha, “what’s she in here for?”

“Basic maintenance, he dropped her off this morning” Rufus shrugs, “would you like to take a peek at her while I get to work on Prius A? Jake should be in in a couple hours and he can get to work on the other one.

“Sounds good,” Dean agrees before turning back to finish his paperwork.

 

 

“Daddy!” Annie yells in greeting, jumping into Dean’s waiting arms. He kneels on the ground so Annie can reach around his neck. “Miss you.”

“I missed you too, baby girl,” Dean assures, kissing his pup on her forehead before standing and setting her on his hip, “did you have a good day?”

“Yuh, Daddy!,” Annie cheers, giving Dean a slobbery kiss, “made flowers and ate nanas!”

Dean looks up when he hears a chuckle to see Jody in front of him. They had met briefly over skype but since Jody was out of town until the night before hadn’t met in person yet.

“Hello, Dean,” Jody greets. She smells faintly of gunpowder and roses and the scent reminds him of warm hugs and a comforting smile, “you’re daughter is a joy to be around. She’s getting along well with the kids, but I do have a couple of concerns.”

Dean tightens his grip on Annie until she starts squirming. He adjusts her and nods slowly, letting Jody know it’s okay to continue.

“Nothing bad, I don’t think,” Jody assures quickly, “she just keeps mentioning a Mikey but won’t tell us who he is.” Dean nods at that, he’s trying to figure out how to explain that they’re never seeing Michael again in words a three-year-old pup can understand, “and all she would eat today is bananas. I’m honestly glad she was eating that but I figured you might want to know.”

Dean lets himself relax because Jody was right, that really is nothing bad. He needs to work on getting Annie to eat when he’s not around and figure out the Mikey thing, but it’s not the end of the world.

He takes a deep breath and plants a kiss on his pups soft, curly hair.

“Okay, yeah, Michael is my ex. I think she’s worried for him or about him or something but I’m not a children's psychologist and I haven’t had the chance to find one yet.” Dean says, probably unloading more on Jody than he should, but it’s nice to talk to another adult about his worries. “She’s always had troubles with food though. I should have mentioned that during the initial interview but she’s not used to eating when I’m not there. The fact that you got her to eat a banana at all is impressive.”

“Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy,” Annie chants, wrapping her chubby arms around Dean’s neck and scenting him, “I love you.”

Dean feels his heart grow three sizes even as it melts out of his chest. He kisses his pup on her nose and then leaves her to her scenting since Jody is talking now and he really should pay attention.

“I can give you a couple names?” Jody offers, “she seems well adjusted from what I’ve seen but I’m not an expert on pups, just an expert on playing with pups.”

Jody winks at Annie and Dean can’t help but fall a little bit in love with the other omega. He accepts the offer and soon he and Annie are on their way with the names for four psychologists.

“How does a trip to the park sound?” Dean asks his daughter after they settle in the truck.

“Park!” Annie yells in agreement, giggling at the sound. Dean grins and starts the car up. He loves taking Annie to the park, he could watch her run around carefree all day. Especially since she always slept better on these nights.

The park is everything Dean has ever wanted in a park for his kid to play at. It’s not so large that he’s gonna lose track of her but she’ll have the freedom to explore without him hovering. The playground isn’t covered in rocks or wood chips but instead by grass that looks carefully maintained. The climbing structures are made out of wood and even the swings are wood planks hanging off the branch of a tree.

Dean loves it more than his daughter does.

As he anticipated when he suggested going to the park, Annie goes straight for the sandbox. Dean follows behind her and settles a few feet away in the grass, watching her play and soaking in the late summer sun.

 

 

“Daddy,” Annie calls sometime later, “look!”

Dean startles awake from his cat nap with a snort and looks up to see Cas and Annie standing over him. Dean can scent the worry radiating off Cas and he feels himself blush.

“Sorry,” Cas apologizes, “I was walking to pick up my car and I saw Annie but couldn’t see you.”

Dean nods helplessly for a second as he gets his bearings before the situation fully sinks in.

“Annie,” Dean whispers, pulling his daughter to him.

He can’t believe he’d fallen asleep and left his daughter to play in the park alone.

“Shit.”

Dean can feel his heart rate increase and knows that his panic is scaring both Cas and Annie but there’s nothing he can do about it.

It’s not the first panic attack he’s had since having Annie but it is the first one he’s had since leaving Michael back in Chicago and the feedback loop of worrying about himself while trying to protect Annie is really not helping him at all.

The feeling of arms around his shoulders sends Dean even further into his panic until he can scent of leather, rain, and old books surround him, accompanied by his daughter's smell of fresh linens, cinnamon, and pine trees.

The combined scent helps ground Dean until he can control his breathing. He leans back into the warm body behind him, cradling Annie so he can scent her neck, and lets himself relax, safe in the moment.

 

****

 

Sleep would solve all of Cas’ problems if only he could actually stay asleep. He’s tried a number of things; two fingers of whiskey before bed, a warm shower, a hot glass of milk. He’s been going to therapy for years but he doesn’t like how the pills they prescribed make him feel.

Falling asleep has always been easy, he’s usually out as soon as his head hits the pillow. But once four am hits, Cas is awake and at the coffee maker as soon as he can will his body to move.

He considers a run but decides against it when he sees he has an email from Dean. After replying he hops in his car, and heads to the store, picking up milk and things for dinner. He always prepares something for the band before their rehearsals.

On his way home from what should be a quick trip, the check engine light comes on and since he’s near Rufus’ anyways he drops the car off there. He visits with the old man, giving updates on the happenings at the bar (Rufus is a frequent patron) and tells Rufus about Dean now being in the band.

“He’s been through a lot, that kid,” Rufus says, resting a hand on Cas’ shoulder, “if you’re thinking about pursuing him you best be treating him and that girl a his well.”

“I-” Cas falters. Yeah, he finds Dean attractive and his scent is the best thing Cas has ever smelled but after Cas’ last disaster of a relationship, he’s not sure he wants to pursue anything with the omega.

“No need to get all mopey on me, boy,” Rufus says, shaking Cas’ shoulder, “it’s not like you’d have to propose to him or anything. Just treat him right.”

“Okay,” Cas nods, “even if nothing happens I promise to treat Dean right.”

“That’s all I ask.”

 

 

Cas tries not to think about his conversation with Rufus while he carries his groceries home but ends up being distracted anyways. He doesn’t realize what street he’s on until it’s too late.

“Cas,” the cheerful voice and scent of rotting fruit sends a shudder through Cas as he turns to see Becky standing behind him, “I heard you got a new band member.”

Usually, he’s careful to avoid the street that Becky lives on, going a block out of his way to get home. Unfortunately, once Becky starts a conversation with someone its near impossible to leave it until she’s ready for that.

“Yes,” Cas says blandly, “we did.”

“That new omega, Dean.”

Cas has to suppress a growl at the way her voice purrs while saying Dean’s name. He has no right to be possessive over the other man. He can’t even call Dean his friend considering they’ve only met once and exchanged a few emails.

“He’s awfully attractive,” Becky continues, sidling up to Cas when he doesn’t respond, “and a single father. Must be nice having a ready-made family just waltz into town.”

He doesn’t suppress the growl this time. Instead, he spins to face Becky, a flash of satisfaction spike through him when she steps back, startled.

“Leave Dean alone.”

Becky breathes deeply for a moment before smirking, “or what?”

Cas doesn’t get the chance to respond before Lisa, one of Becky’s neighbors and another Alpha, calls out to Becky.

“Everything alright?”

He realizes then the scent he has been giving off; protectiveness, disgust, and something that hints at violence.

“Everything’s great, Lis,” Becky chirps and Cas takes the chance to leave, barely managing a nod towards Lisa.

 

 

Back at the bar, Cas starts prepping to open, cleaning up the back room and making sure everything is stocked out front. When Ash comes in at five Cas takes the chance to walk back for his car. Rufus had called while he was cleaning to tell him it was ready.

Cas loves walking in town, he grew up here and enjoys looking at all the houses and seeing how they’ve changed. He especially loves the park just off main. He remembers when it got redesigned a few years back. The grass is a lot easier to maintain than the old woodchips were and he volunteers there periodically to help clean it up.

He’s just about to turn the corner when he sees little Annie playing in the sandbox and no Dean in sight. Cas doesn’t think the omega would abandon his kid like that so he feels a spike of panic as he approaches the girl, eyes peeled out for Dean.

“Hey there, Annie,” Cas says gently, crouching in front of the girl and trying not to spook her.

She tenses but then sniffs him and relaxes, holding out a handful of sand to Cas. He takes it and pretends to eat it, making the girl giggle.

“Daddy?” Annie asks, her brows furrowing adorably.

“Where?” Cas asks, hoping that she knows where her father is.

Cas sighs in relief when he sees Dean sleeping in the grass a few feet away, he blames not seeing him before on the panic he had felt.

Annie stands on wobbly legs and grabs Cas’ hand, dragging him over to her father.

“Daddy, look,” Annie calls, startling the omega awake.

Green eyes flash omega gold and Cas feels the urge to comfort the father but pushes it aside at the scent of panic.

“Sorry,” Cas apologizes quickly, not wanting to give Dean the wrong idea, “I was walking to pick up my car and I saw Annie but couldn’t see you.”

Dean nods and looks around for a moment before panic spikes and he pulls his daughter into his chest.

“Annie,” Dean whispers, stroking the girl’s hair.

Cas can smell the building panic attack and he watches with concern as Dean’s breathing starts to come faster. He doesn’t know what to do but he has to be there for Dean. For Annie.

“Shit.”

The sharp scent of fear rises into the air, from both father and daughter, and Cas lets his instincts take control. He moves behind Dean and slowly wraps his arms around the pair, pulling Dean into him, whispering assurances into Dean’s ear as he strokes Annie’s hair, soothing her as she whimpers into Dean’s chest.

Dean smells like dark chocolate, coffee, and something spicy even while he panics. The smell of clean laundry and Christmas morning accompany it. The combined scents smell like home to Cas and he would hold these two in his arms forever if he could. 

Sometime later Dean relaxes back into Cas chest and Cas breathes a sigh of relief, watching how his breath moves Dean’s hair. He’s just about to pull back when a new scent spikes; spice and arousal permeate off Dean and Cas can’t help but hold him tighter.

“Cas,” Dean warns. He pinches Cas’ arm, startling the alpha into letting go.

“Dean,” Cas says breathing through his mouth, moving away from the omega even as his scent urges Cas forward. “I think you’re going into heat.”


	4. Funk 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you mean I'm five months late with this update? That's impossible it's only... Oh.. Oops. 
> 
> Yup, sorry for this delay. Life got in the way. But I'm back! And slightly less busy! 
> 
> Ahaha. 
> 
> *Note:* Please check the tag list for updated tags for this chapter :D 
> 
> *Note A:* you can still join us on [The Profound Bond Discord!](https://discordapp.com/invite/GGbw2NP)

“No shit,” Dean growls, balancing Annie on his hip so he can stand up on his own. It figures that this would happen now. “Damn suppressants must’ve failed.” 

Dean carefully hides his panic as he eyes Cas warily. He wants to trust Cas, but he doesn’t know the alpha well enough to judge how he’s going to react to the smell of Dean’s heat. He is surprised, though, when Cas takes a step back. 

“I- I should go,” Cas says slowly, even though he doesn’t move any further away. 

“Probably,” Dean urges, and that get’s Cas moving. 

Dean watches as Cas backs away, his hand now held over his nose and Dean would have been offended if he wasn’t doing the same thing. 

Cas smells absolutely divine.  

Dean presses his nose into Annie’s hair and calms down enough to make it back to his car. 

 

As soon as they’re back at Nazareth, Dean hands Annie off to Rowena and goes to shower. He hates the feel of his heat and needs to be clean as soon as possible. 

He’s sweaty, and sticky, and gross and probably owes Rowena his second-born child at this point. The woman has saved his hide more than once since he’s moved to Cripple Creek and they’ve been there less than a week. 

“I hate this,” Dean grumbles as he finishes his final rinse and turns off the water. 

Once he’s dressed again he goes out in search of his pup and finds her playing on the floor with Crowley in the parlor. 

“Dean,” Rowena calls from the direction of the kitchen and she enters to find the omega sitting at the kitchen island with a cup of tea, another steaming cup placed across from her. “It’s not going to stop your heat, dearie, but it will make it go smoother.” 

Dean decides to trust her and downs the drink in one go. It’s bitter and makes him gag but it works just like Rowena said it would. He can still feel the pulse of need in his abdomen but it’s no longer urgent. 

“Crowley is showing Annie around the sitting room,” Rowena informs him, “as soon as you’re ready they’ll be back.” 

Dean is puzzled by the phrasing but he already knows not to question Rowena. He’s 98% sure that she’s a witch. 

“How long do your heats usually last?” Rowena asks after getting Dean a glass of water. 

“Two to three days,” Dean says, “they’re usually worst on the second say but manageable on the first and third.” 

“I can take Annie for you tonight,” Rowena offers and Dean swears at that moment that he would die for this woman. 

“Daddy!” Annie yells running into the room. She’s carrying a toilet brush like its a sword and a harried-looking Crowley enters the room only seconds behind her. He’s wearing a straw hat and a blanket like a cape. Dean blinks at them for a moment before slowly removing the clearly used brush from her daughter’s grasp. 

“Annie, love, please don’t take things from the bathroom,” Dean says. He wonders how he got to be here for a moment but he wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

Rowena chuckles and pulls Annie into her lap. “How would you like to have a sleepover tonight?” 

“Yes!” Annie shouts, “can we build a fort? An’ an’ an’ watch movies? An’ popcorn?” 

She looks pleadingly at Dean who can’t help but chuckle at the puppy-dog eyes his daughter as mastered. 

“That’s up to Rowena, baby girl,” Dean says, leaning over the table to give Annie a kiss on the forehead, “you’re gonna have a fun time no matter what’cha do.” 

“Okay,” Annie says. 

She jumps down from Rowena’s lap and runs to give Dean a hug. Dean squeezes her tight, relishing in the affection that his daughter so freely gives. He may not be doing everything right for her, but seeing the love she has for everyone makes him feel like the best-damned parent there is. 

“You enjoy your sleepover, sweet pea,” Dean says, standing from his seat and handing his daughter over to Rowena, “daddy’s gonna go read a book and call it an early night. Love you to the moon and back.” 

“Love you, daddy,” Annie replies, but her attention is already on Rowena and figuring out what she can get away with for this sleepover. 

 

Dean manages a few hours of sleep before the heat returns in full force. It’s not like what the media portrays, he doesn’t feel the need to mate with the closest living alpha. But his body feels feverish and sluggish and there is a scratch that he needs to itch. 

He pulls his bag out from under the bed and digs down to the bottom, looking for his knotting dildo and a packet of lube. He hasn’t had to use it in years but it’s a welcome sight right now. 

Dean removes the quilt from the bed and lays out a plastic cover and a towel. He sets the dildo and the lube on the end table before grabbing a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and setting it up as well.

He relaxes back in the pillows and lifts his hips to pull his pants and boxers off. He keeps his shirt on for now but he knows he’ll have to take it off later. 

Dean reaches between his legs and just circles his rim with one finger, not going any further yet. His other hand comes up to play with his nipples and Dean groans at the feeling. It’s been too long since he’s been able to do this. 

The lube is probably unnecessary considering how wet Dean already is, slick pooling beneath his ass on the bed, but Dean tears the packet open anyway. He covers his fingers with the liquid and circles his rim before dipping the tip of one finger in with a quiet groan. 

Soon enough Dean is three fingers deep and begging himself for something more. He removes his fingers and wipes them on the towel. For a moment Dean just waits, his body shivering in feverish anticipation. 

When he can’t take it any longer Dean grabs the dildo off the table and uses the last of the lube to coat it. With a groan, Dean pushes the dildo past his rim and relishes in the smooth slide. Once it’s nestled in as far as it can go Dean takes a deep breath and starts to slowly pump it in and out. 

He likes the build-up the best. The slick side of the dildo as it brushes ever so slightly against his prostate and guides him ever so slowly towards the edge. His other hand moves constantly over his heated skin, teasing him, never staying in the same place. 

As he nears the edge, Dean picks up the pump and starts to inflate the dildo. The memory of concerned blue eyes is enough to send him into an orgasm. Dean pumps the dildo one more time before letting it settle inside. 

Once Dean has come down from his high he deflates the dildo and lets himself rest for a moment. If this were before, he’d have a warm body to relax into, but since he’s alone Dean quickly cleans himself up and grabs a drink of water before he prepares for the next round of his heat. 

  


He wakes up in the morning with an email from Cas. 

_Checking in_

 

_Dean,_

_I wasn’t sure whether to check on you or not since you’re living with Rowena and Crowley and they are more capable than I would be with helping. But I wanted to make sure you at least got home okay. The band is set to move rehearsal to Saturday if you need more time. Andrea and Bess can reschedule as well if you need that._

_Let me know what you need._

_Sincerely,_

_Cas_

 

Dean takes a moment to respond but since he’s already feeling better he knows he won’t need to reschedule anything. Hell, the only thing keeping him from going to work was Rufus’ “no heat” policy. 

He had emailed Rufus before going to sleep the night before and his boss had given him the go-ahead for the day off. Dean felt like shit about it but he knew he had at least one more round of his heat to go before he’d be able to participate in society again. 

With that in mind, Dean gets up to go check on Annie. His daughter is in the kitchen with Crowley, helping the man make pancakes. 

“Hey, baby girl,” Dean greets, giving her a kiss on top of her curls before grabbing a mug down for a cup of coffee, “how was your sleepover?” 

“Daddy!” Annie squeals, grabbing his free arm and hugging it to her body, “was ‘mazing! We watched Froz’n an’ Tangle, an’ an’ an’ uh, the dragon one.” 

“Mulan?” Dean suggests with a smile, surprised that they’d gotten three movies in the night before. 

“The last two we watched this morning, your girl sure is an early riser,” Rowena says when she enters the kitchen. 

That makes sense. 

“It definitely took some getting used to.” 

“Can we go to the park today?” Annie asks, looking up at Dean with pleading eyes. 

“I have to stay home today, bug,” Dean informs. She pouts and Dean kisses her on the forehead, “but I can drive you to Jodie’s and you can play with her and the other kids today.” 

“You sure about that, Dean?” Rowena asks. 

“Yeah. I’m the only one authorized for drop off and pick up right now, and we need to get into a routine or its gonna be a disaster later.”  

“At least let me drive you,” Rowena insists, “I know how suddenly things can change, Dean.” 

Dean nods, knowing Rowena’s right. They finish breakfast and Dean piles himself and Annie into his car. He reluctantly hands over his keys and warns her not to scratch his car. He doesn’t particularly care about it, but he’d rather not have to get it fixed. 

  


*******

 

“I- I should go,” Cas says slowly, but he can’t move. His feet are glued to the ground and Dean’s scent is enticing him to move forward. To mate and claim and —

“Probably,” Dean says, his voice quiet and pointed. 

Cas backs up automatically, he plugs his nose even though that does little to stop the scent. Once Cas can no longer see Dean he turns and books it to the garage. 

He’s breathing hard when he arrives but he ignores Jo’s pointed look while he wills himself to calm down. 

“Rufus said my car was done,” Cas says once he knows he can speak again. 

“You smell like you’re going into a rut,” Jo replies, “what the hell happened?” 

“I think Dean Winchester is my true mate,” Cas says because Jo’s been his friend for years and she’ll know what to do. 

“What happened?” Jo asks, guiding Cas to one of the old chairs on the far wall. He really wants to redecorate this place. The pastel green chair looks disgusting. “Cas?” 

Cas takes a moment to gather his thoughts, ignoring the current of need running through his body. “I saw Annie, his daughter, in the park and couldn’t see Dean so I went to make sure she was okay. And Dean was asleep in the grass so we woke him up. And he panicked, so she panicked, so I panicked. And I may have done the dumbest thing in my life and given a stranger in the middle of a panic attack a hug. But it worked. And he calmed down, so she calmed down, so I calmed down. But then he went into heat.” 

“And?” 

“And what?” Castiel looks up at Jo to see her raised brow. 

“How does that make you true mates?” 

“Other than the fact that his heat is sending me into my first rut in years? He smells like home. Like coffee and the chili-chocolate my mom used to give me on Sundays if my homework was done.”  

“What are you going to do about it?” Jo says, sitting in the chair next to Cas and handing him a bottle of water. 

“Nothing,” Cas decides immediately, “I know nothing about him. And even if that weren’t true I’m still not ready for a relationship, Jo.” 

“That’s understandable,” Jo agrees, patting Cas on the shoulder. “Your car’s outback if you want to go get it and get yourself home.” 

Cas accepts the offered keys with a nod and then goes to find his car, greeting Jake on his way through the garage. The smell of coffee, chocolate, and spices grows stronger as he nears the car and Cas has to bite back a groan. He isn’t sure if its of frustration or lust. 

Dean worked on his car. 

Well shit. 

 

The drive home is torture and Cas is hard the entire way. He enters through the back and goes straight to his room before texting Ash and letting him know that he’s on his own tonight unless Garth can come in. 

It’s only Tuesday so it shouldn’t get that busy at the bar. 

Cas bypasses his bed and goes straight to the shower. He needs to get the scent of Dean off his skin if he’s going to have any hope of calming down tonight. 

With the shower as cold as he can stand it, Cas steps in. He’s quick to rinse his hair out under the freezing water but takes more time with his body. Once he feels clean enough he shuts the water off and uses a warm fluffy towel to dry off. 

He slips into his comfiest pair of sweats before going into the kitchen to prepare for his incoming heat. The first few hours, Cas remembers, he’ll be fine, but once his rut truly kicks in Cas won’t want to leave his room for anything. 

There’s a pot of honey in the cupboard, next to the tea, and Cas grabs that, the tea, and an electric kettle. From the fridge, he grabs a gallon of water, a jug of apple juice, and a slice of leftover pizza. He munches on the pizza while he scours the cupboards for granola bars and maybe some fruit snacks. 

Once he has everything he needs, Cas returns to his room. 

He lays his stash out on his desk and strips down, knowing the fabric is going to feel coarse against his skin in maybe twenty minutes. He sets the kettle to boil and grabs his laptop, opening it to type out an email to Dean. 

Just the thought of the omega has the blood rushing to his cock and Cas has to set his laptop aside. He flops down onto the bed and groans when one of the springs jabs into his back. 

He really should replace the thing already. 

Cas shifts until he’s comfortable and grabs his cock. He gives it a few pumps and sighs before reaching for the lube he keeps in the side table. 

With slick fingers, Cas loosely wraps his hand around his cock and pumps into it. His other hand dances lightly up and down his chest, teasing but never giving him enough. He can feel his knot growing already as heat pulses through his body. 

The memory of Cas’ arms wrapped around Dean from behind sends Cas over the edge. His knot forms as cum spills out over his hands. Cas squeezes his knot a few times to prolong the glowing feeling in his gut before he rolls on his side to grab a towel from the floor. 

After a perfunctory wipe, Cas grabs his mug and prepares his tea. He eats a granola bar while it seeps. He can feel the next round of his rut starting in his gut as he sips the tea and bites back a sigh. 

It’s going to be a long night. 

 

Cas opens his eyes slowly, blinking owlishly at the green light of his alarm clock. 

Four a.m. 

He runs his hands down his face and rolls onto his back with a groan, knowing he’s not going to get back to sleep tonight. His rut is already over, they never last long, but he still feels sluggish and warm. 

At five-fifteen, Cas bites the bullet and gets up for a shower. He drinks a cup of coffee while he peruses facebook on his phone before pulling up his email. He finishes composing his email to Dean and sends it off before standing with a groan to make another pot of coffee. 

By seven Cas is feeling more alive and he decides to head into the bar and see if any more clean up needs to be done. 

When he finds Ash and Jo slumped together on the pool table he can’t help but snap a picture of it. For blackmail purposes, of course. 

“Hey, you two,” Cas greets, shaking them awake. He smiles at the snort Ash lets out as his eyes flutter open, clearly hungover. “How’d it go last night?” 

“Garth came in,” Ash says sluggishly. “Jo did too.” 

“I see that,” Cas smirks, glancing over at Jo, who’s face is now smooshed into the table. 

“How’re you?” Ash slurs, trying to sit up but failing. Maybe still drunk, then. 

“Rut’s over,” Cas assures. “I can cover you Friday night if you want. After rehearsal.” 

“I’d love that.” 

Cas nods and then sets to work. He wipes down the bar counter and chats with Ash and Jo while he finishes up. Once the bar is restocked for that night, Cas invites them back for some coffee and chocolate, the ultimate hangover cure. 

“I’m too old to be getting drunk like that,” Ash remarks, holding his coffee up to his nose appreciatively. Cas understands that feeling, like just the smell of coffee, makes everything right in the world. 

Cas ignores the flash of green eyes and freckles. 

“Maybe you shouldn’t get drunk like that, then,” Cas suggests sardonically. They all know Ash isn’t going to change. Not even MIT could get him to change. 

“Maybe  _you_ shouldn’t get drunk like that, then,” Ash counters in a poor imitation of Cas’ deep voice. Jo chuckles and Cas just raises a brow at the man. “Okay, yeah. That was a terrible comeback.” 

Cas shakes his head and turns back to the pan of scrambled eggs. When they’re finished he plates them and adds a third of a chocolate bar to each plate before passing them out. 

“You ready for rehearsal Friday?” Ash asks, his voice suspiciously neutral. 

“Yes?” Cas replies, turning his affirmative into a question. He doesn’t trust the smirk on Ash’s face. 

“Excited to see your Dean-y boy again?” 

“My what?” Cas blinks slowly before turning to Jo. “did you tell him?” 

Jo shrugs, “I was drunk. He was drunk. I didn’t think he’d remember.” 

Cas closes his eyes and lets his head thunk down onto the table. He can feel his face flush in mortification. He really really hopes that no one else knows. He can’t imagine how Dean would feel about some strange alpha going around claiming that they’re true mates. 

“Don’t worry, Cas,” Jo says gently, “I at least had the self-control to tell him when there was no one else there. Not even Garth knows.” 

“Good,” Cas says, glaring up at Jo and Ash, “you better keep it that way.” 

“Scouts honor,” Ash salutes with a grin. 

Cas rolls his eyes, “Whatever, asshole.” 


End file.
